Mike Hasselhoffman
Bell Centre Baywatch
- Sep 17, 2011
- 5,263
- 364
Good evening folks, below is my first mock draft of the season. I have just done this for the non-playoff teams for now. I plan on doing further mock drafts as the playoffs get underway and we have a better idea of who is picking where.
Ran tankathon to determine the order of this mock draft.
Full disclosure, if you couldn't tell already, I'm a Habs fan.
1.
Rasmus Dahlin
Arizona gets lucky and moves up from 3 to 1 and selects the unanimous choice in Dahlin, no difficulty making this pick.
2.
Andrei Svechnikov
Chicago gets very lucky to win the 2nd overall pick and makes what is likely the easiest pick after Dahlin and begins to form a very formidable forward corps again.
3.
Filip Zadina
Montreal moves up a spot and selects the very complete Zadina. Yes he isn't a centre or a left defenseman, but Zadina is the BPA here, Montreal makes an easy selection.
4.
Brady Tkachuk
This pick might get a bit of heat given Buffalo's needs on the blueline, but a big bodied winger like Tkachuk could be exactly what the doctor ordered for a Buffalo team that is really in shambles right now. Bonus is that Tkachuk and Eichel are both former BU Terriers who I believe could complement each other very well.
5.
Adam Boqvist
Word is Ottawa is seeking a defenseman early on, and they still manage to come away with arguably the 2nd best defenseman in the draft after Dahlin. Boqvist may need another year or two before coming over, but he'll be the real deal when he does.
6.
Quinn Hughes
Detroit would have loved to be able to draft Svechnikov and unite the 2 brothers, but alas, they add the superbly gifted Hughes, that fits the bill as the modern age defenseman, who can really control the game from the blueline. Plus, he's right in the Red Wings' backyard at uMichigan.
7.
Ty Smith
Maybe a little bit of a reach here but with plenty of young high powered forwards in the pipeline and on the roster already, Vancouver opts for a very smart puck moving defenseman in Smith, who I believe will surprise a lot of people. Smith often flies under the radar in terms of the top defensemen of the draft class, but trust me, he's legit.
8.
Oliver Wahlstrom
I'm a big fan of Wahlstrom and believe he's easily a top-5 talent, but the run on defensemen drops him down to 8. Wahlstrom has an outstanding shot and a high offensive IQ, and his 0.74 goals per game this year are reminiscent of that. He makes a great pick for the rebuilding Rangers.
9.
Noah Dobson
Perhaps the most complete defenseman in the draft after Dahlin, Dobson is a big lefty defenseman who can skate well and log big minutes, shutting down other team's best players. He was also a point per game this season, and should go a long way in helping to stabilize Edmonton's porous defense corps.
10.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
The first of 2 early picks the Islanders will make this draft barring a trade. I do believe New York may try and dangle their picks to move up in the draft to be able to select one of the top wingers available, but assuming they stay put, Kotkaniemi could become a great fit as a 2C behind Barzal, if Tavares does indeed leave in free agency. Kotkaniemi is a very complete centre, in the mold of an Aleksander Barkov-lite.
11.
Grigori Denisenko
I thought Carolina would sneak in and grab a wild card spot this year, I really did, but here they are, drafting just outside the top-10 for the third year in a row. The Hurricanes have a nice stable of young talent across all positions, so they can afford to swing for the fences here with Denisenko. His talent is off the chart and if he manages to put it all together, we could have anywhere from 5-7 GMs, maybe more thinking 'how'd we let this guy slip past us?'.
12. (via CGY) Evan Bouchard
'Didn't the Islanders just pick?' says Gary Bettman as the Islanders head up to make their second 1st round selection. With Kotkaniemi in the fold already, New York decides to address their blueline by grabbing the OHL's leader in defenseman scoring who is surprisingly still available at 12.
13.
Joe Veleno
Another year, another disappointment for a Stars team that really thought they'd get into the playoffs this year. After addressing their blueline early on with Heiskanen last season, Dallas grabs a skilled centreman here who could soon fit in as their 2C behind Seguin. Being the BPA coupled with Dallas not having drafted a centre in the first round since Radek Faksa (2012), Veleno is a solid choice.
14.
(via STL) Joel Farabee
Another team with two 1st round picks, Philadelphia uses their first one to address the wings given that they're deep with young centres and defensemen by selecting the high IQ'd captain of the U.S. U18 team. Farabee is the best available winger in the 2nd tier of wingers after Svechnikov/Zadina/Wahlstrom/Tkachuk at the top of the draft.
15.
Bode Wilde
After an impressive late season run falls just short for the Panthers, they do something that they haven't done since 2014 and that's select a defenseman in the 1st round. Wilde is a big, well-rounded defenseman with few weaknesses. His size and heavy shot could make for an intimidating duo alongside Ekblad in the future.
Let me know what you think of this mock draft, I'd love to hear from you!
Ran tankathon to determine the order of this mock draft.
Full disclosure, if you couldn't tell already, I'm a Habs fan.
1.
Rasmus DahlinArizona gets lucky and moves up from 3 to 1 and selects the unanimous choice in Dahlin, no difficulty making this pick.
2.
Andrei SvechnikovChicago gets very lucky to win the 2nd overall pick and makes what is likely the easiest pick after Dahlin and begins to form a very formidable forward corps again.
3.
Filip ZadinaMontreal moves up a spot and selects the very complete Zadina. Yes he isn't a centre or a left defenseman, but Zadina is the BPA here, Montreal makes an easy selection.
4.
Brady TkachukThis pick might get a bit of heat given Buffalo's needs on the blueline, but a big bodied winger like Tkachuk could be exactly what the doctor ordered for a Buffalo team that is really in shambles right now. Bonus is that Tkachuk and Eichel are both former BU Terriers who I believe could complement each other very well.
5.
Adam BoqvistWord is Ottawa is seeking a defenseman early on, and they still manage to come away with arguably the 2nd best defenseman in the draft after Dahlin. Boqvist may need another year or two before coming over, but he'll be the real deal when he does.
6.
Quinn HughesDetroit would have loved to be able to draft Svechnikov and unite the 2 brothers, but alas, they add the superbly gifted Hughes, that fits the bill as the modern age defenseman, who can really control the game from the blueline. Plus, he's right in the Red Wings' backyard at uMichigan.
7.
Ty SmithMaybe a little bit of a reach here but with plenty of young high powered forwards in the pipeline and on the roster already, Vancouver opts for a very smart puck moving defenseman in Smith, who I believe will surprise a lot of people. Smith often flies under the radar in terms of the top defensemen of the draft class, but trust me, he's legit.
8.
Oliver WahlstromI'm a big fan of Wahlstrom and believe he's easily a top-5 talent, but the run on defensemen drops him down to 8. Wahlstrom has an outstanding shot and a high offensive IQ, and his 0.74 goals per game this year are reminiscent of that. He makes a great pick for the rebuilding Rangers.
9.
Noah DobsonPerhaps the most complete defenseman in the draft after Dahlin, Dobson is a big lefty defenseman who can skate well and log big minutes, shutting down other team's best players. He was also a point per game this season, and should go a long way in helping to stabilize Edmonton's porous defense corps.
10.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi The first of 2 early picks the Islanders will make this draft barring a trade. I do believe New York may try and dangle their picks to move up in the draft to be able to select one of the top wingers available, but assuming they stay put, Kotkaniemi could become a great fit as a 2C behind Barzal, if Tavares does indeed leave in free agency. Kotkaniemi is a very complete centre, in the mold of an Aleksander Barkov-lite.
11.
Grigori DenisenkoI thought Carolina would sneak in and grab a wild card spot this year, I really did, but here they are, drafting just outside the top-10 for the third year in a row. The Hurricanes have a nice stable of young talent across all positions, so they can afford to swing for the fences here with Denisenko. His talent is off the chart and if he manages to put it all together, we could have anywhere from 5-7 GMs, maybe more thinking 'how'd we let this guy slip past us?'.
12.
(via CGY) Evan Bouchard'Didn't the Islanders just pick?' says Gary Bettman as the Islanders head up to make their second 1st round selection. With Kotkaniemi in the fold already, New York decides to address their blueline by grabbing the OHL's leader in defenseman scoring who is surprisingly still available at 12.
13.
Joe VelenoAnother year, another disappointment for a Stars team that really thought they'd get into the playoffs this year. After addressing their blueline early on with Heiskanen last season, Dallas grabs a skilled centreman here who could soon fit in as their 2C behind Seguin. Being the BPA coupled with Dallas not having drafted a centre in the first round since Radek Faksa (2012), Veleno is a solid choice.
14.
(via STL) Joel FarabeeAnother team with two 1st round picks, Philadelphia uses their first one to address the wings given that they're deep with young centres and defensemen by selecting the high IQ'd captain of the U.S. U18 team. Farabee is the best available winger in the 2nd tier of wingers after Svechnikov/Zadina/Wahlstrom/Tkachuk at the top of the draft.
15.
Bode WildeAfter an impressive late season run falls just short for the Panthers, they do something that they haven't done since 2014 and that's select a defenseman in the 1st round. Wilde is a big, well-rounded defenseman with few weaknesses. His size and heavy shot could make for an intimidating duo alongside Ekblad in the future.
Let me know what you think of this mock draft, I'd love to hear from you!
